Maddy, Christine, and Amy find that an old college roommate has written about them in her new self-help book-and they're furious that she's used them as examples of how women screw up their lives. And the worst part is, it's sort of true. Together they make a pact: they'll face down their fears-and maybe show Miss Perfect a thing or two!

Maddy rejected her high school sweetheart's marriage proposal for art school years ago. Now her friends challenge her to rediscover her lost passion for arts. In doing so, she crosses paths with her old flame, Joe, at an art camp. Perhaps it's about time that Maddy reignites another old passion.

Emerson Watts didn’t even want to go to the new SoHo Stark Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister Frida, whose crush, British heartthrob Gabriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there — along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.

How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her — and life as she’d known it — forever? One devastating accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.

Now getting her best friend Christopher to notice that she’s actually a girl is the least of Em’s problems.

But what Em’s pretty sure she’ll never be able to accept might just turn out to be the one thing that’s going to make her dream come true….

As far as Joan Bateman is concerned, life as she's known it is over. For years she's lived with a dual identity. The people of Indigo know her simply as their neighbor, but to crime-mystery readers, she's the bestselling author Jules Burrell. But once her secret is leaked, the media, her fans and Anthony Verdun, her New York agent, all descend on the sleepy little town.

Anthony is bent on using the publicity to promote Joan's latest book, but it's when the plot turns out to be more fact than fiction and the murderer sets his sights on Joan that the relationship between author and agent becomes much more personal.

An artist in glass and light, Angel has loved with passion and fire – and learned the true depths of sadness when what she loved was taken from her. When she first meets Miles Hawkins – a solitary, distant man – their mutual mistrust seems insurmountable. Hawk has never known what Angel has freely enjoyed, having experienced only cruelty and betrayal from the women in his life. But Angel is willing to risk everything that proud, silent Hawk cannot, as she strives to bring truth and love to a tormented soul who believes in neither. Yet giving her heart again could be a gamble with stakes too high and too painful for her to endure – for she fears that, by loving Hawk, she will surely lose him.

Brody never forgot his first love, the one his pride made him lose. When the world dies almost overnight, he finds himself drawn back to his hometown and the love he left behind.

Hannah never thought the expression, ‘Not if you were the last man on earth’ would ever come back to haunt her, but when the world’s population is decimated by a deadly virus, she regrets her words, especially when Brody comes riding back into her life.

Against all odds they survived the plague, but will the mistakes of the past continue to tear them apart?

After years of being the black sheep, an unexpected inheritance has finally drawn Caleb Terrell home. But that doesn't mean the cowboy-turned-CEO plans to settle down on his family's Colorado ranch. His single-minded goal is to sell and get out.until he's reunited with the sexy girl next door, Mandy Jacobs.

Her mere presence reminds him of happier times. Denying Mandy seems impossible, but seducing her can lead only to heartbreak. There's no room in Caleb's agenda for such a delectable distraction. Because once he gives in to temptation, he may not be able to walk away.

With no warning, Mitch Hayward's superefficient, self-effacing assistant has done a complete 180 – becoming captivating before his very eyes. And on one very special night, the interim club president gives in to this brand-new temptation. Instinct takes control.

But protecting Jenny Watson's heart from his own bachelor ways is the only right thing to do. If he has to, he'll even set up the lovely Jenny with someone more suited to her hearth-and-home desires. And then he'll pretend that he's not jealous of her every look, her every touch.

He is Colorado to the core. And after an unexpected family reunion, Reed Terrell is also an overnight millionaire. But the cattle rancher's biggest surprise is his attraction to Katrina Jacobs. For as much as Reed is quintessential cowboy, she is pure city-slicker.

Even with passions riding high, Reed knows an affair with Katrina can't continue. She'd once lived the ranch life and long ago decided it wasn't for her. Though every fiber of his being yearns for the country, can Reed risk losing the only woman who makes him crave something more?

The one person who can help Zach Rainer close a life-changing deal turns out to be the very woman he just slept with. He knows Abigail Jacobs is attracted to him…but is that enough incentive for her to betray those she loves?

Desperate to leave her family's ranch, Abigail believes Zach might be her perfect hero…until his true motives are revealed. What was once a simple affair has become a complicated relationship…one that has her battling her own heart. How can she possibly love a man who wants her to choose between him and her family?

Forget ghosts who rattle chains, try living with ones that like to grope.

Jenna, desperate for change, buys a repossessed home on a whim. The townsfolk claim it's haunted, but Jenna's pretty sure all it needs is some filler to stop the drafts. But before long, even she has to admit, there's more going on here than the vagaries of an old house. And whatever it is keeps making her panties damp and her dreams hot.

Derrick and Mark, werewolf twins, are stuck in their house as disembodied spirits all because of an evil witch. When their fated mate suddenly becomes the new owner, they end up taking haunting to a whole new erotic level.

Can Jenna save the alpha brothers and if she does, can she handle a forever after with not one, but two men?

Abducted by a space pirate, she fights the temptation to let him plunder her goods.

A boyfriend’s attempted murder leaves Megan floundering in the ocean. Sinking without hope, the bright light she sees in the night sky isn’t her doorway to heaven, but rather the beginning of her accidental abduction by a space pirate. While thankful of his rescue, Megan stays true to form and just can’t keep her mouth shut, even when he keeps threatening to kill her-or auction her off to the highest bidder. Even odder, despite her decision to not get involved with her wickedly hot captor, she can’t help craving his touch.

Tren retired from his job as a mercenary so he could enjoy life, but he never counted on the boredom of normalcy. The acquisition of rare items has somewhat filled the void, but his accidental abduction of an outspoken earthling, who doesn’t know when to shut up, turns his life upside. Her fiery spirit draws him while at the same time drives him insane. Struggling with his urges, he must decide- throttle her barbarian neck or ravish her delectably lush body?

Despite what his heart tries to tell him, he’s determined to sell her to the highest bidder even as he seduces her body. However, despite his best intentions, he discovers he can’t let her go. And when a foe from his past thinks to steal her, he’ll do anything to get her back.

Miranda's first glimpse of her neighbors' house sitter nearly takes her breath away. He's everything she likes in a man-handsome and naked. She can't resist the impulse to introduce herself to this intoxicating stranger.

She quickly finds out he's more than just looks. His miraculous massage brings relief to her aches and pains, then pleasure that explodes into the sweetest, most erotic experience of her life. Yet with each encounter that follows, her confusion grows. Unlike other men she's known, he fulfills every secret desire, yet demands nothing in return.

Patrick is holding back more than a scrap of vital information. He is an angel on an earthly mission of kindness, bound by an unbreakable code. Miranda must not know that her wit, gentleness and womanly curves only sharpen his secret longing to live-and love-as humans do.

And Patrick faces an agonizing choice that could bring them everything they've ever wanted…or separate them for all eternity.

While browsing in an Austin shop, Nicola James finds a blank vintage journal hidden among a set of Jane Austen novels. Even though Nic is a straight-laced engineer, she's still a sucker for anything Austen-esque. But her enthusiasm turns to disbelief once she starts writing in the journal - because somehow, it's writing her back...Itching for a bit of excitement, Nic decides to follow her "Fairy Jane's" advice. The result: a red-hot romance with a sexy Scottish musician who charms his way into Nic's heart in about five seconds flat. But a guy like Sean doesn't exactly fit into her Life Plan. With no one but Fairy Jane to guide her, Nic must choose between the life she thought she wanted - and the kind of happy ending she never saw coming...

From the glittering ballrooms of Manhattan to the fires of World War I, Danielle Steel takes us on an unforgettable journey in her new novel – a spellbinding tale of war, loss, history, and one woman's unbreakable spirit…

Nineteen-year-old Annabelle Worthington was born into a life of privilege, raised amid the glamour of New York society, with glorious homes on Fifth Avenue and in Newport, Rhode Island. But everything changed on a cold April day in 1912, when the sinking of the Titanic shattered her family and her privileged world forever. Finding strength within her grief, Annabelle pours herself into volunteer work, nursing the poor, igniting a passion for medicine that would shape the course of her life.

But for Annabelle, first love, and a seemingly idyllic marriage, will soon bring more grief – this time caused by the secrets of the human heart. Betrayed, and pursued by a scandal she does not deserve, Annabelle flees New York for war-ravaged France, hoping to lose herself in a life of service. There, in the heart of the First World War, in a groundbreaking field hospital run by women, Annabelle finds her true calling, working as an ambulance medic on the front lines, studying medicine, saving lives. And when the war ends, Annabelle begins a new life in Paris – now a doctor, a mother, her past almost forgotten.until a fateful meeting opens her heart to the world she had left behind. Finding strength in the most unlikely of friendships, pulling together the broken fragments of her life, Annabelle will return to New York one more time – this time as a changed woman, a woman of substance, infused with life's experience, building a future filled with hope.out of the rich soil of the past.

Filled with breathtaking images and historical detail, Danielle Steel's new novel introduces one of her most unique and fascinating characters: Annabelle Worthington, a remarkable woman, a good woman, a true survivor who triumphs against overwhelming odds. For Annabelle's story is more than compelling fiction, it is a powerful celebration of life, dignity, and courage – and a testament to the human will to survive.

Ashley Forrester had no choice but to plead with Vito di Cavalieri to drop the charges that would put her brother in prison. She expected Vito to exact a high payment in return. But what shocked her was his asking price…

A Demanding Proposition

He wanted Ashley… in his bed, as his wife. And passion surged beneath her shaking defenses and betrayed her like never before. Because how could she control love turned to white-hot hatred-and desire that raged dangerously out of control.

Of all the Fallen, Raze's hungers are some of the darkest and most insatiable. His brazen seductions cost him his wings, leaving him soulless and immortal, the most dangerous of seducers. He has roamed the earth for eons, hunting the rogues of his kind and protecting the humans who provide him with blood and sex. He is content with his life and the transient pleasures that flow through it… until one night and one woman change everything.

Kimberly McAdams is smart, beautiful, and wealthy. She can have any man she wants, but the moment she sets eyes on the lethally stunning Raze she knows he's the man she needs. As one searingly erotic night burns into something deeper and far more vital than either of them expected, an adversary from Raze's past sees a chance for revenge. Twisted by hatred, she will take from Raze what was taken from her – the precious gift of love.

Catherine Arnold will do anything to keep precious baby Bonnie in her life – even marry the little girl's gorgeous, rugged uncle, Cole Farraday. As their union grows near Catherine is almost breathless with nerves.and secret excitement!

Playboy's Surprise Son by Lucy Gordon

Five years ago, racing star Jared held Kaye in his arms, only to leave after discovering how innocent she was. But their one night had lasting consequences… Now an older, wiser Jared will discover that the child he longs for exists, and the mother is the one woman he's never forgotten!

It was a grand white wedding that would make the society pages the world over-handsome British aristocrat Jarvis Larne was marrying beautiful American oil heiress Meryl Witners. But behind the lavish ceremony, their vows were a sham. Marrying for convenience had been the only way Jarvis could save his estate-and that had hurt his pride. But after the wedding came the wedding night-which exceeded both their expectations! Was their society wedding set to become a marriage for real?

From the moment he saw seductive, violet-eyed Serena Spaulding, Gideon Brandt was imprisoned by the reckless longings of his heart. But Serena escaped from his arms, and he couldn't find her again until years later. And then his overwhelming need to possess her placed them both in grave danger in savage, sun-kissed Castellano. Gideon's sizzling touch exposed Serena's secret yearnings and made her cling to his strength, teaching her that destiny had meant them to be together. She blossomed under the blazing intensity of his passion, but her own obsession for the man she could never resist would test her pride – and her love. Swept up in a revolution that risked both their lives, could Gideon and Serena survive?

A Mistletoe Masquerade" by Louise Allen – Lady Rowan Chilcourt agrees to masquerade as a simple lady's maid to help her friend. But working below stairs introduces her to handsome Lucas Dacre. As Christmas approaches, Rowan begins to fall for Lucas, until she discovers that she isn't the only one masquerading under the mistletoe…

Convincing these women he's found their matches is hardly a smooth ride for cabbie Mario Capelli…

Just whistle There's no way jaded Zachary Evans will help new grad Hannah Robertson land a swishy publishing gig. What's the point? She can't even hail a cab! But Hannah knows what Zach needs to find his inner optimism. It's called S-E-X… in NYC.

Driven to distraction Rachel Marlowe doesn't know a thing about her supersecretive lover Roman Brach. Sure, the sex is great. But why does he jump at every pager beep? Heck, it's enough to have him followed. Hmm. Now there's an idea…

Taken for a ride No sale! Psychic Sabina Amanar is never going to sell her grandmother's Eat Village storefront, even if it is worth millions. Real-estate developer Alec Harnett predicts Sabina will cave. But first he's got to wine her, dine her… and then fall in love.

Nina thinks the last thing she needs is Fred--part basset, part beagle, and part manic-depressive puppy. Then Fred brings home Alex Moore, poster boy for lonely women. Nina loves Fred, but really, anyone but Alex!

Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.

It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

Runaway Princess Carlyne Fortier read a desperate nanny ad in the paper and decided it was the answer to her prayers. Disguising herself, she applied. Anything to escape the demands of royal life!

Architect Sean O'Mara welcomed Carlyne with open arms. The woman might have been plain as dirt, but she had great references. Anything to cope with the demands of his sister's four-year-old whirling dervish! What happened next was right out of a fairy tale…

It's bad enough that gutsy pilot Mel Anderson has to clean up after her lovable but completely disorganized best friend and business partner, Dimi, while her certifiable employees make more work than they do. Now, the one man she hoped she'd never see is back and looking for trouble. Scratch that, he is trouble. Amazing, holy cow, more please trouble…Bo Black wants his family's airport back, and he's determined to get it. This laid-back Aussie is nobody's fool. Thing is, neither is Mel. She's intense. Uptight. Sexy. And very, very tempting. Suddenly, Bo's thinking less about revenge and more about kissing and touching and falling into a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-underpants kind of forever love…

Mitch Cochran had been kept from enjoying life to its fullest, but he’s now ready for all love has to offer. He wants much more than just a casual encounter, though. He’s looking for love, and Kay Sanders is the real thing. But when he learns she’s a sex ed teacher, Mitch worries that he’ll be unable to live up to the expectations of this very passionate woman.

Kay can tell Mitch is hiding something, and the less he volunteers about his past, the more intrigued she becomes. Despite kisses that could tempt Kay to go against her own rule of no sex without commitment, Mitch ends each date like the perfect gentleman. Kay soon realizes that if she wants to move their budding relationship to the next level, she’s going to have to take matters into her own hands…

In high school Sugar Carey had reigned supreme. She alone had decided what or who was cool. Her spiral perm had been the perm against which all others were measured, and her opinion on which boys were acceptable to date the only one that counted. A beautiful, blonde – if not always benevolent – dictator, she had a reputation for being the wild child in her hometown, the girl most likely to set the world on fire, and leave a trail of destruction in her wake. When she left home she swore she'd never return. Only now, fifteen years and several husbands later, she's run out of money, luck and options… Only Sugar arrives back home to discover that everyone else is living her life. Her half sister is married to Sugar's high school sweetheart, the teacher she schemed to get fired is now a successful novelist and owns her old house. She also discovers that people have long memories – especially where Sugar is concerned…

Amy Michaels moves to the small town of Lucky Harbor, where her grandma hiked the Pacific Northwest rain forest for one glorious summer some decades prior, hoping for the same life-changing experience. She gets life-changing alright, in the form of a sexy forest ranger Matt Bowers. She also gets something she never knew she wanted much less needed – love.

Ad execs Matt Davidson and Jilly Taylor have two things in common-they hate to lose and they want each other…badly. Only, neither one is going to chance losing the upper hand by giving in to their mutual attraction. But when their boss sets them up to compete for the same account-in the same inn, in the same bed-something has to go. And it starts with their clothes…

As Matt and Jilly scheme to win the account, more than the competition is heating up. Suddenly they can't keep their minds on their work…or their hands off each other! Still, when the holidays are over, they'll have to go back to the real world. And then the only question will be, which one of them will end up "on top"?

Zach Torr's life changed the moment he saw Summer Wallace-and he's never forgotten the mockery she'd once made of their young love. The wealthy mogul has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his former lover pay for her long-ago betrayal. So when she's swept into scandal, he seizes his chance. His deal is simple: Summer will be his for every weekend…until he says it's over. His rules do not allow for emotional entanglement, nor the fantasy of a happy ending. But the revelation of Summer's decades-old secret may change everything.

Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist in classical music, but she was also the loneliest and the most exploited girl in the world. When a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her violin career, she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor's rostrum.

Given the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra, Abby is ecstatic, not realising the RSO is in hock up to its neck and is composed of the wildest bunch of musicians ever to blow a horn or caress a fiddle. Abby finds it increasingly difficult to control her undisciplined rabble and pretend she is not madly attracted to the fatally glamorous horn player, Viking O’Neill, who claims droit de seigneur over every pretty woman joining the orchestra. And then Rannaldini, arch-fiend and international maestro, rolls up with Machiavellian plans of his own to sabotage the RSO.

Effervescent as champagne, Jilly Cooper's novel brings back old favourites like Rupert and Taggie Campbell-Black, but also ends triumphantly with a rampageous orchestral tour of Spain and the high drama of an international piano competition.

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". From nowhere comes a quiet 'tsk' of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there. Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go — sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham. Still, everyone has something to learn about love — perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending.

A sexy Italian should be just the thing to liven up Lara’s working life. Except this gorgeous specimen of a man is not only her new boss, he’s the last person she ever expected to see again-and the father of her child!

Now Lara is at Alessandro’s beck and call-but his mind is on more than just work. How is Lara supposed to tell him about their daughter? He may have asked her to step into his office, but his demands have extended to the bedroom!

Marketing whiz Jessica Howell needs some "arm candy" – a deliciously sexy man by her side to keep her married playboy boss in line. Dan Crawford fits the bill – he's handsome, discreet and available. Definitely the perfect escort for the party circuit and media blitz surrounding Jessica's hot new cosmetics campaign.

Helping gorgeous Jess with her dilemma is a treat for Dan – and very tempting. Attend a few parties, exchange heated glances, kiss her senseless…pretend to be in love. Tough job? Except there's no pretense after they share one night of sizzling no-holds barred sex. Dan doesn't want to be kept at arm's length anymore. But will Jess see their hot fling leading to the real thing?

Love the older Blaze novels, and have always enjoyed Jo Leigh – both of these add up to a fun read. Love the hero who is so determined! Lots of humor, great banter between Jessica and Dan. Very steamy too.

An ideal husband and father? What can the small Australian town of Bay Beach offer an ambitious city lawyer like Nick Daniels? Well, first there's Shanni McDonald-a gorgeous, vivacious woman Nick is instantly attracted to. Second, there's tiny, vulnerable Harry-a three-year-old child from the orphanage, desperately in need of love. Nick is wary of commitment, but Shanni and Harry have decided that Nick is the man for them. All they have to do is persuade him!

Molly Farr can see why millionaire businessman Jackson Baird is called Australia's most eligible bachelor! He's charming, handsome, successful…and if Molly can't close the deal on a huge property with him she'll lose her job.

So the last thing Molly needs is to be distracted by an inconvenient attraction to her most valued client! Especially since Jackson has a reputation for dating only the most gorgeous, glamorous types – what could a man like him ever see in an ordinary woman like her?

Having recently accepted a new job and rejected a marriage proposal, Dr. Erin Carmody was already reeling. So, after crashing her car and staggering to the door of Dr. Dom Spencer, she barely knew which way was up. At least that was how she rationalized the crazy, wonderful attraction she felt for this man she'd only just met.

But as Erin healed, she began to believe in the unbelievable. Perhaps she was meant to be here-helping Dom care for the people of Bombadeen, being a mother to his foster sons. Dom had shown her what true love was-if only he'd let her prove to him that what they had was real…

As in a fairy tale, Penny-Rose O'Shea has been rescued from poverty by a handsome prince who wants to marry her! But this royal marriage is purely for convenience. Prince Alastair must marry a woman of unimpeachable virtue for one year, or his estate will be forfeited and his people will lose their homes…

Penny-Rose can't refuse to help, and agrees to become Alastair's temporary princess – not suspecting that she's about to fall for a man who isn't hers to fall in love with!

Raff's teenage recklessness once broke them apart, but he's not about to let his childhood sweetheart marry the wrong guy. With help from Kleppy and some Banksia Bay magic, Raff plans to reawaken the Abby he's always loved.

Matt McKay thinks he has his life all mapped out. He's on his way to propose to his "suitable" girlfriend – when fate intervenes. Irresistible Erin Douglas is catapulted into his path, with cute twin boys in tow!

Matt's chivalrous instincts take over, and his single lifestyle flies out the window as this ready-made family moves in to his bachelor pad. But Matt soon realizes he likes having the twins around – and, even more, he wants the woman who loves them…

The second in a quartet of Maitland Maternity novels connected by a mother's legacy of love.

For Michael Lord, head of security at Maitland Maternity, the arrival of the package from his long-lost mother recalled his abandonment as a baby – so he wasn't about to desert his secretary, Jenny Marrow. Seven months ago her husband had died in an accident. Now she was pregnant and her controlling mother-in-law wanted custody of the unborn child. The confirmed bachelor couldn't ignore a woman in trouble. Michael had an idea that could keep Jenny and her baby in Texas – a temporary husband!

Autumn Haven's Las Vegas "to-do" list said to catch a show and play the slots – not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam LeClaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her to run. And she did – right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality, and before she could say "pass the coffee," Sam was gone.

Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn hasn't clapped eyes on the heartbreaking hockey superstar for over two years… until she organizes his teammate's "Special Day," where Sam makes a big play to pick up where he left off! But she has vowed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever?

Back in high school, Liz Sutton was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Then she'd stolen the heart of the most popular boy in town, and their secret romance helped her through the worst of times. Until Ethan Hendrix betrayed her and everything they'd ever meant to each other. Devastated and pregnant, Liz left Fool's Gold, California – forever, she thought.

Now Liz must return to town and face the man who doesn't know of their son's existence. And this time she won't have the option of making a quick getaway. Ethan and Liz can't deny their passionate attraction, even after all these years. But will their desire be enough to spark a second chance at love?

First she's bumped from first class to coach, then she's robbed, gets soaked in a rainstorm and now is stranded on a ranch full of animals she's afraid of… As far as days go, Princess Natalia Brunner has definitely had better ones! If not for the timely rescue by a good-looking cowboy, she would have quit this day long ago. But just like the old Westerns, the sexy Tim Banning has her thinking she should hang up her tiara and stay awhile…

Her Knight To Remember

Some people have no gratitude! When Princess Andrea Brunner saves Kyle Moore from a bad guy, she expects a little appreciation. Instead, the arrogant man insists that he saved her! Impossible! Annie has always been the rescuer. Nothing to do except ignore the gorgeous but misguided cop. Too bad he doesn't see when he's being given the cold shoulder. In fact, he seems intent on making himself unforgettable…

Grace Farrell is a genius scientist first, a woman a distant second – until she meets Logan Sutherland. The self-made millionaire is wickedly sexy, and with him, Grace learns a new lesson – how it feels to want a man.

Logan has his roving eye on Grace from the moment she steps onto his tropical island. But when he discovers she's there under false pretenses, he orders her to leave. Faced with her refusal, the cynical bachelor works it all to his advantage. He'll let her stay – in his bed! But will one night be enough?

The broad-shouldered military man had no patience with games. Margie – Cabot? – had to go. She'd been masquerading as his spouse for nearly a year, living in his house while he'd been overseas. Now all his skills were focused on payback: it would be sweet, swift and sexy.

"Mr. Irresistible…!" Steve Warwick makes it clear to Davina from theirfirst meeting that he wants her in his bed! Davina has other ideas… Thelast thing she needs right now is a tough, masterful man who thinks he canorganize her life for her… But Steve has never met a woman yet who isimmune to his charm, and he's decided that Davina will be no exception. Sowhen Steve gets that determined glint in his glittering hazel eyes, Davinaknows she's in for trouble!

All architect Tess Roussel has ever wanted is to open her own design firm. She gets the chance when she returns to California and wins a coveted waterfront project. It's the contractor hired for the job who's got her distracted. John Jameson Quinn isn't her choice. And definitely not her type.

Tess doesn't go for brooding bad boys – especially one who isn't shy about going after what he wants. And he wants Tess. Never mind that he's got a scandalous past to overcome. A daughter to raise. A boss – Tess – and a town to answer to. Quinn follows his own drumbeat. Only, now Tess is starting to hear it, too. Because he's good. And they're good together.

Josh and Bella have been friends for years, but suddenly Bella is starting to see her Josh in a very different light – she's falling in love. Worse, she's just agreed to pretend to be Josh's fiancee and spend a week in the Seychelles with him.

Keira had been working for dynamic Eden Cassidy's company for five years. It was the job of a lifetime until Eden had virtually accused her of playing with his nephew's feelings. How misguided could Eden be? Daniel was years younger than Keira even if she had been interested in him, which she wasn't. So Keira was surprised when the playboy millionaire outrageously offered himself as a substitute for his nephew.

If he thought she was going to fall at his feet like all his previous girlfriends, he was greatly mistaken. Yet Keira was finding it increasingly difficult to keep Eden at arms length. She knew in her heart she was fightly a losing battle.

Solicitor Pippa Jenson is stunning, intelligent and successful – and she just wants a man who sees beyond her looks! Her new client, brooding, levelheaded stockbroker Roscoe Havering, seems more interested in setting her up with his brother than in trying to charm her himself. Intriguing.

Roscoe is finding it increasingly difficult to fight his feelings for Pippa. She is a woman of contradictions – flighty yet organized, bubbly but with hidden depths. Roscoe can't decide whether to kiss her senseless or propose a more permanent solution!

As of Christmas Eve, Hank McCabe will lose his chance to bid on the Mesquite Ridge ranch. But ever since Ally Garrett delivered her ultimatum, Hank's more set than ever on snapping up her land. He's ready to build his future, and is crazy enough to think generosity would overtake the holiday-hating Ally this season. Apparently not!

Ally came home to say goodbye to her family ranch and sever her ties to Laramie County once and for all. Not find herself smooching with the hunkiest cowboy in Texas. And not having a litter of adorable golden retriever pups take over the house she's trying to sell!

It seems that with a McCabe around, things always get complicated. So it's time to make a choice – sell to the highest bidder, or give in to the spirit of the holiday. After all, what could be better than a cowboy under the mistletoe?

Vincenzo could see the woman known as Julia had clearly been to hell and back. But he could tell that she needed himto help her enjoy life; to find out how wonderful the world could be. She needed him to help her find her beloved daughter…

And he did both those things. Julia had never thought she would taste delicious food again, or laugh spontaneously… or kiss a gorgeous man. But she did with Vincenzo.

Now they were falling in love. Life should have been perfect, only then Vincenzo discovered that the very child Julia had been searching for was the child he was bringing up as his own…

Olivia Daley's travel itinerary might be unusual, but she believes the best cure for a broken heart is a radical change of scenery. Exotic, vibrant China is far enough from rainy gray England to be just that!

In the hustle and bustle of Beijing, Olivia is starting a whole new adventure… She's mesmerized by the ancient legends of love, and soon finds herself wishing she could be the bride who wore red.

Josie Sheehan collects failed relationships the way some women collect designer handbags. Now, at thirty-five, she has exactly one male in her life: her Labradoodle, Genghis. In fact Josie, along with the three very single women in her dog-walking group, has recently sworn off men, resigning herself to long walks in the park with her devoted, four-legged friend.

All bets are off, however, when she meets Rick Rousseau, a pet-company CEO who is smart, sexy, and, best of all, head-over-heels for Josie. Even Genghis, an excellent judge of character, seems to know that Rick is the real deal. But just when Josie starts to think that she has found something more enduring than puppy love, she discovers that Rick has a complicated past - and a secret that could put the woman he loves in serious danger...

For Reagan Deveraux, Sugar Creek, Vermont, and the Cupcake Lovers are a dream come true: A cozy little town where family and friends come before everything else. She’s never experienced anything like it—especially not growing up with her mother, a fickle, fame-hungry heiress. But Rae’s plan to hide out in anonymity for a year until she can claim her inheritance—and her independence—changes with one kiss from gorgeous pub owner Luke Monroe.

UNTIL YOU SPICE IT UP…

Luke’s charm is legendary, but he’s never been a one-woman man. Until Rae captures his attention, that is, and then disappears. With a little help from a friend, Luke tracks her down—and unearths secrets almost too wild to be true, as well as the fact that Rae lied to him, and to all of Sugar Creek. Luke’s not sure if he can forgive her, but he definitely can’t forget her, and when she returns to save the Cupcake Lovers from disaster, he knows it’s his chance to get the truth—and get the girl, this time for good…

This book is for mature audiences 18+ It contains explicit language and sexual content.

Contrition, one would say is a humane and moral virtue. But in order to experience this form of repentance, you must first acknowledge your sin then show remorse for your wrongdoing.

For most of Bryce Clark’s adult life, he had been plagued by guilt over what he claimed was a wrong decision; a lapse of better judgement on his part. He hadn’t lived the life he wanted to live, or thought he deserved—until Alexis came along.

Alexis Summers—a breath of fresh air, blown in for Bryce to inhale, allowing him to once again breathe; and live. She ensnared his heart, mind, body, and soul. She consumed him, completely.

Inseparable from the moment they first met, Bryce and Alexis are now engaged and expecting a baby. Bryce has everything he has ever wanted; wealth, the girl, and to become a father. Will he finally achieve his ultimate attainment? Or will guilt of what he deems are his mistakes—his sins—ruin everything?

Frankie Baudouin has a hundred reasons not to trust Nate DeLuca. First, he’s a DeLuca. Second, he kissed her—in front of the entire town—and then never called. Oh, and he’s after her land. Sorrento Ranch is Frankie’s last chance to prove to her family—and to herself—that she has what it takes to be an award-winning winemaker. And she will stop at nothing to ensure her success—even if it means playing nice with the starched, sophisticated, and oh-so-sexy Italian.

For Nate, Sorrento Ranch is more than just soil and grape vines; it was his father’s dream—a dream Nate is determined to make a reality. So when he finds himself forced to cohabitate with a hot-headed, irrational, and incredibly gorgeous Baudouin, Nate is surprised to discover that chaos could be so much fun—especially when she sleeps in nothing but lace.

Elisa Cardoso longs for passion in her life. Though she'd much rather spend her days photographing the stunning Wyoming landscape, food photography is a lucrative, if uninspiring, way to pay her bills. But when her next assignment brings her face to face with sexy restaurant owner Brody McDermott, Elisa can't deny the delicious effect he has on her.

From the minute Brody sees Elisa, he's dying to unleash her inner bad girl. He knows there's more to the sophisticated photographer than meets the eye. Now getting the sexy shutterbug into his bed is on his menu, but when she starts making her way into his heart-big problem. Love has been tricky for Brody, and he's not too eager to try his luck again. But when a golden opportunity means Elisa may be leaving Trouble for good, can Brody find the courage to grab on to love . . . before it slips away?

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorce dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

From a dark past, a forbidden love, a secret comes. Among the confusion and the chaos of an unwanted reality, two women find something they neither want nor can deny. Blayne Ashton-Carlyle is aloof, self-sufficient, and used to damage control. She is at the top of her game, has always contained herself, and has never come up against any contention she could not handle. Gabriella Matheson is a sculptor. The perfect daughter, she appears to have the ideal marriage, complete with two lovely children. A shocking revelation is approaching with a vengeance, and all that stands in its way will be eradicated. Both women are on a collision course to a passion they cannot fight, to a love they cannot ignore, to an ending that will change everything.

Alice Jordan looks forward to moving into The Grey House, an 18th-century residence in a village full of friendly eccentrics. But the change of scenery leads to even greater changes, as she forms a sudden, fierce friendship with an independent young woman named Clodagh-a friendship that will take her husband, the villagers, and Alice herself by complete surprise.

From the glittering ballrooms of Manhattan to the fires of World War I, Danielle Steel takes us on an unforgettable journey in her new novel – a spellbinding tale of war, loss, history, and one woman's unbreakable spirit…

Nineteen-year-old Annabelle Worthington was born into a life of privilege, raised amid the glamour of New York society, with glorious homes on Fifth Avenue and in Newport, Rhode Island. But everything changed on a cold April day in 1912, when the sinking of the Titanic shattered her family and her privileged world forever. Finding strength within her grief, Annabelle pours herself into volunteer work, nursing the poor, igniting a passion for medicine that would shape the course of her life.

But for Annabelle, first love, and a seemingly idyllic marriage, will soon bring more grief – this time caused by the secrets of the human heart. Betrayed, and pursued by a scandal she does not deserve, Annabelle flees New York for war-ravaged France, hoping to lose herself in a life of service. There, in the heart of the First World War, in a groundbreaking field hospital run by women, Annabelle finds her true calling, working as an ambulance medic on the front lines, studying medicine, saving lives. And when the war ends, Annabelle begins a new life in Paris – now a doctor, a mother, her past almost forgotten.until a fateful meeting opens her heart to the world she had left behind. Finding strength in the most unlikely of friendships, pulling together the broken fragments of her life, Annabelle will return to New York one more time – this time as a changed woman, a woman of substance, infused with life's experience, building a future filled with hope.out of the rich soil of the past.

Filled with breathtaking images and historical detail, Danielle Steel's new novel introduces one of her most unique and fascinating characters: Annabelle Worthington, a remarkable woman, a good woman, a true survivor who triumphs against overwhelming odds. For Annabelle's story is more than compelling fiction, it is a powerful celebration of life, dignity, and courage – and a testament to the human will to survive.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1815, with Napolean Bonaparte marching down from the north, Brussels is a whirlwind of parties, balls and soirées. In the swirling social scene surrounding the Duke of Wellington and his noble aides de camp, no one attracts more attention than the beautiful, outrageous young widow Lady Barbara Childe. On their first meeting, dashing Colonel Charles Audley proposes to her, but even their betrothal doesn't calm her wild behavior. Finally, with the Battle of Waterloo raging just miles away, civilians fleeing and the wounded pouring back into the town, Lady Barbara discovers where her heart really lies, and like a true noblewoman, she rises to the occasion, and to the demands of love, life and war...

A novel of love and intrigue in the grandeur of Medieval England. Dirick of Derkland, man of the king, sets off on a mission of revenge after his father's brutal murder. His mind is bent solely on vengeance until he meets the beautiful, spirited Maris of Langumont. Maris of Langumont has vowed never to wed...but her father must do his duty to protect her, and he promises her to Victor d'Arcy - a man who makes her blood run cold. Bon de Savrille rests his eyes on Maris only once and decides she must be his. He whisks her away just before her betrothal, determined to force her into marriage. When Dirick appears at the castle where Maris is held captive, she believes he is part of the plot ... and it's nearly his death she causes during her plan to escape.

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh has written her most beguiling novel yet, in which the black sheep of the scandalous Huxtable family finally meets his match - in a woman of even more wicked reputation.

'The Devil was about to be tamed.' Her name is Hannah Reid. Born a commoner, she has been Duchess of Dunbarton ever since she was nineteen years old, the wife of an elderly duke to whom she has been rumored to be consistently and flagrantly unfaithful. Now the old duke is dead and, more womanly and beautiful than ever at thirty, Hannah has her freedom at last.

And she knows just what she wants to do with it. To the shock of a conventional friend, she announces her intention to take a lover - and not just any lover, but the most dangerous and delicious man in all of upper-class England: Constantine Huxtable.

Constantine's illegitimacy has denied him the title of Earl, so now he denies himself nothing . . . or so the ton would have it. Rumored to be living the free and easy life of a sensualist in his country estate, he always chooses recent widows for his short-lived affairs. Hannah will fit the bill nicely.

But once these two passionate and scandalous figures find each other, they discover that it isn't so easy to extricate oneself from the fires of desire - without getting singed. For the duchess and the dark lord each have startling secrets to reveal, and when all is said and done, neither will be able to say which one fell in love first, who tamed whom, and who has emerged from this game of hearts with the stronger hand.

Although Jenny Chawleigh was bright, well-mannered, and an heiress, she was no match for Julia Oversley, the love of handsome Adam Deveril's life. But Adam desperately needed money to keep his fatherless family together, and a marriage to Jenny would solve all his problems. And Jenny's father, a man of great wealth and ambition for his daughter, was only too happy to arrange a suitable match for her.

But Adam didn't reckon with the Jenny nobody knew, or the unknown quality that lay hidden behind her demure and plain facade....

Impetuosity is Arabella's only fault. An enchanting debutante and the eldest daughter of a country parson, she should know better than to allow herself to be provoked by Mr Beaumaris, the most eligible nonpareil of the day.

Demon Cynster has seen love bring his brethren to their knees, and he's vowed that he will not share their fateuntil he spies Felicity Parteger sneaking around his country estate. Demon remembers Felicity as a mere chit of a girl, but now she stands before him-begging for his help-all lush curves, sparkling eyesand so temptingly worthy of the love he's vowed never to surrender to any woman.

Felicity knew Demon was one of the ton's most eligible bachelors and a rogue of the worst sort, but he was the only one capable of getting her friend out of trouble. Her fascination with him had nothing to do with the power lurking just beneath his devil-may-care fagade-or with the desire that flares when he takes her in his arms. She knows he'll never yield her the love she desperately seeks, but could a marriage with passion alone-even with a man like Demon-be enough?Demon Cynster has seen love bring his brethren to their knees, and he's vowed that he will not share their fateuntil he spies Felicity Parteger sneaking around his country estate. Demon remembers Felicity as a mere chit of a girl, but now she stands before him-begging for his help-all lush curves, sparkling eyesand so temptingly worthy of the love he's vowed never to surrender to any woman.

"You said I am too proud and I-I am," Jennifer said, laying her hand on Royce's chest in desperate supplication. "If you will let my sister go, I'll do any humble task you give me. I'll scrub the floors. I'll wait upon you at table. I swear I'll repay you in a hundred ways."

Royce glanced down at the small, delicate hand laid upon his chest; heat was seeping through his tunic, desire already tightening his loins.

"Please," Jenny whispered, "I'll do anything . You have only to tell me what you want."

"I want you in my bed."

Jennifer's hand fell away from his tunic. Behind them her sister's coughing rose to a terrible crescendo and Jenny shuddered with alarm.

"Do we have a bargain?" he asked, and when she hesitated, he stated calmly, "In truth, I have no need to bargain with you at all, Jennifer, and you know it. I want you, and if that makes me a barbarian in your eyes, then so be it, but it doesn't have to be that way. There'll be no shame nor pain for you in my bed. There will be only pleasure."

Jenny remembered the previous occasions when he had embraced her, had kissed her-and her own surprising response. Blood rushed to her face.

"Do we have a bargain?" Royce asked, his long fingers sliding up and down her arms in an unconscious caress…

"You said I am too proud and I-I am," Jennifer said, laying her hand on Royce's chest in desperate supplication. "If you will let my sister go, I'll do any humble task you give me. I'll scrub the floors. I'll wait upon you at table. I swear I'll repay you in a hundred ways."

Royce glanced down at the small, delicate hand laid upon his chest; heat was seeping through his tunic, desire already tightening his loins.

"Please," Jenny whispered, "I'll do anything . You have only to tell me what you want."

"I want you in my bed."

Jennifer's hand fell away from his tunic. Behind them her sister's coughing rose to a terrible crescendo and Jenny shuddered with alarm.

"Do we have a bargain?" he asked, and when she hesitated, he stated calmly, "In truth, I have no need to bargain with you at all, Jennifer, and you know it. I want you, and if that makes me a barbarian in your eyes, then so be it, but it doesn't have to be that way. There'll be no shame nor pain for you in my bed. There will be only pleasure."

Jenny remembered the previous occasions when he had embraced her, had kissed her-and her own surprising response. Blood rushed to her face.

"Do we have a bargain?" Royce asked, his long fingers sliding up and down her arms in an unconscious caress…

Spirited Emily Gibson has been looking after her family since her father died, but debts are mounting. She decides she must marry for money and writes asking her estranged grandfather to select a suitable suitor. The man the Earl of Westerham chooses is her cousin, but he is the last person Emily would have picked for herself.

Young Lady Helen was always getting into trouble, but her motives were always noble: she wanted only to help the deserving in matters of money, or affairs of the heart.

Unfortunately, one small fib added to another small fib soon resulted in a large one, and the lovely Lady Helen found herself in a predicament that shook the very foundations of her marriage.

In a burst of verbal and romantic fireworks bright enough to light up the heavens, Helen at last learned how to look life in the eye, and discovered for herself that in weakness there is often strength.

Lord Robert Andreville, a master spy with the face of a fallen angel and a darkly heroic past, crosses Regency England with a half-Mohawk beauty. As they evade pursuers and circle each other in a dance of desire, their idyll is shattered by dark secrets. Only love has the power to heal the past.

Step into a world of scandal, intrigue, and enthralling passion as New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh sweeps us into the lives of an extraordinary family: the Huxtables. Margaret, the eldest, embarks on the most risqué adventure of her life and agrees to marry the most notorious man in London..

Only desperation could bring Duncan Pennethorne, the infamous Earl of Sheringford, back home after the spectacular scandal that had shocked even the jaded ton. Forced to wed in fifteen days or be cut off without a penny, Duncan chooses the one woman in London in frantic need of a husband. A lie to an old flame forces Margaret Huxtable to accept the irresistible stranger's offer. But once she discovers who he really is, it's too late - she's already betrothed to the wickedly sensual rakehell. Quickly she issues an ultimatum: If Duncan wants her, he must woo her. And as passion slowly ignites, two people marrying for all the wrong reasons are discovering the joys of seduction - and awaiting the exquisite pleasure of what comes after..

In this charming late Victorian romantic suspense novel, Emily, a young and beautiful widow, regrets her husband's African hunting expedition death less than is proper. The late Philip, Viscount Ashton, had a passion for classical antiquity, and Emily, in an attempt to get to know her husband postmortem, uses her newfound independence in London to study it. In the process, she forms a friendship with Cecile du Lac, a Parisian of a certain age, and realizes that there was more to Philip than she realized—including his genuine passion and love for her. The charming Colin Hargreaves may have been involved with Philip in art forgeries, and Andrew Palmer proposes to Emily and then offers evidence that Philip is still alive. By this time, Emily and Cecile are a well-practiced team of amateur sleuths: Phillip's secrets begin to emerge, and travel to Greece provides the possibilities of a new life. Alexander makes Emily light but sympathetic, and conveys period flavor without being ponderous. Her knowledge of the ethical dilemmas posed by Victorian etiquette is considerable; sexual chemistry in particular is handled with exquisite delicacy. The archeological background will lure readers who like to dig for their clues.

Blending romance and historical mystery, Alexander has delightful fun with both genres. Rich, young widow Lady Emily Ashton occasionally has tea with the queen, but she isn't exactly a perfect Victorian lady. Pretty and poised though she may be, her preference for port and cigars, her devotion to both "popular" novels and classic Greek literature (which she reads in Greek), and her involvement in solving the mystery of her husband's death (And Only to Deceive, 2005) have made her the subject of plenty of gossip. Her forthright opinions stir up chitchat once again when she becomes curious about the theft of several items once owned by Marie Antoinette and about a new gentleman on the social scene, who claims to be an heir to the throne of France. Alexander's witty treatment of the trivial pursuits of the aristocracy, coupled with an engaging mystery and a deliciously flirtatious romance between Emily and handsome Colin Hargreaves, makes for entertaining reading for those who like historical mysteries that don't take themselves all that seriously.

Author’s Note: Upon return to Hertfordshire in October of 1812 ‘in pursuit of game’, Darcy’s real purpose is forestalled by interfering interlopers, his good intention hindered by old habits that die hard, and his true aim thrown off by Bingley.

Warning: The writer’s extensive use of adjectives, adverbs, and motley-minded Elizabethan-era insults may be offensive to some.

Following the death of her roguish husband, Kit Mallory returns to the life of a scholar, with its dusty books and shamefully out-of-date dresses. Although she has no one to love, Kit believes, after her spouse's ill treatment, that romance is highly overrated.

Then the Dowager Duchess of Wexcombe, Kit's bosom friend, finds herself in a pickle, and the young widow offers her help, never expecting to make the acquaintance of the duchess's nephew, Lord Bainbridge-or to make a reckless bargain with the charming peer that may win her true love…or cost her heart.

Amanda Rose was an English beauty determined to escape the loveless marriage imposed on her by her cruel stepbrother. She never dreamed a mysterious rogue from the New World would enter her life. Amanda's promise not to betray Matt Grayson, a wounded fugitive, was soon replaced by a deeper vow. Now a cruel twist of fate threw them together as enemies, instead of lovers.

Lady Emily Ashton is back in her third episode of romantic suspense set in the Victorian world of mannerly gentlemen, conniving mothers, and scandals behind closed doors. Forced to join a group of socialites at the home of formidable and odious Lord Fortescue, whom she loathes (and whose daughter covets Emily’s fiancé, Colin Hargreaves), Emily and others in the party feel little regret when Fortescue is murdered. Unfortunately, her best friend’s husband, Robert, is arrested and imprisoned in the Tower, after witnesses confirm his fight with the victim. Resolved to exonerate Robert, Emily heads for Vienna on the killer’s trail. Austria proves rich with intrigue, and this portion of the story really shines as readers take a tour of nineteenth-century Vienna—its parties and its cafés—in the wintertime, shadowed by decidedly evil characters. Emily’s sparkling wit makes up for the somewhat convoluted plot and large cast of characters who move from England to the Continent and back at the slightest provocation. This is a captivating addition to the adventures of an irresistible Victorian iconoclast.

All of Regency London knows that no Cynster male would ever walk away from a lady in distress...but their protection can come at a tantalizingly high price. And now, Stephanie Laurens has created her boldest Cynster yet-Gabriel-a man who has known the pleasure of many women, but who has given his heart to no one.

She was desperate for his help...

When a mysterious lady, her face hidden by a black veil, begs Gabriel Cynster for his help, he cannot refuse her plea. For despite her disguise, Gabriel finds the woman alluring and he is powerless to deny her. But he exacts payment as only a Cynster would demand: with each piece of information he uncovers, she must pay him-in the form of a kiss.

He was powerlerss to resist...

Lady Alathea Morwellan knows Gabriel is intrigued, but despite the sparks that fly between them, they have never passed a civil moment together. Yet as the stakes get higher, so does Gabriel's desire for payment. And with each overpowering kiss, each passionate embrace, Alathea knows that she will not be able to resist his ultimate seduction...but what will happen when she reveals the truth?

When Gyles Rawlings, Earl of Chillingworth, was named an honorary Cynster (in All About Love), he was pleased at the recognition of his longtime friendship with the Cynsters but certain that the gesture would not affect his future in the slightest. Unlike the Cynsters, who are destined to wed for love, Gyles is determined that love will play no part in his marriage plans. That's why he's contracted to wed an heiress, sight unseen, to acquire an estate that had once been part of his family's land. He considers it a bonus that, while conducting the negotiations for his perfectly suitable bride, he's met an unforgettable beauty whose passionate nature is the perfect match for his own -- until he discovers that the brazen beauty he plans to make his mistress is, in fact, his promised bride, and she is determined her marriage will be a perfect fusion of passion and love.

Lady Rachel Palmer was quite used to men falling helplessly in love with her. Every gentleman in aristocratic society, including her devoted fiancé, Lord Algernon Rivers, fell a willing victim to Rachel's dazzling beauty and bewitching charm.

Mr. Gower made it clear that the ravishing Rache represented everything he scorned, and that he was the very last man in the world she could ever ensnare. It was a challenge Rachel could not ignore-from a man she could not resist…

******************************

FIRE AND ICE

Rachel had never been held thus, against the full, warm length of a man's body. And she had never been kissed thus, with lips that moved over hers, parting and persuading hers to do the same. But she knew this was right. This was the way it must be.

Then she felt David's hold loosen.

"I have given into a temptation I thought I had under control," he said. "I had determined never to touch another woman this way until she had consented to be my wife."

"I can marry you," Rachel said eagerly.

He shook his head. "No, Lady Rachel, we can never marry."

Rachel's face was becoming stormy. "Give me one reason why I may not marry you."

"Because I am not asking you," he coldly replied.

Signet, North American Library, Signet

Copright 1989

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Rhonwyn, a passionate woman who uses weapons as skillfully as any man, accompanies her husband on the Crusades, where, captured by the Emir of Cinnebar, she learns erotic skills that she utilizes on her return to England to win back her beloved.

Young Wynne of Gwernach believes love is an illusion. She devotes herself to managing the great family estate in Wales, vowing to protect it and her younger brother until he comes of age to inherit. Then Madoc of Powys enters her life, and all her beliefs are turned upside down. For Wynne and Madoc have been lovers in another time, another place. And an unfinished destiny lies between them…

Five years have now passed since the Winter War between the Outlands and Hetar. But Gaius Prospero has not given up his scheme to become emperor, and unexpected tragedy causes Lara to once again heed the pull of her destiny. Finding herself across the sea in a secret new world known as Terah, she discovers that her magical abilities grow greater with each passing day.

Using her newfound powers, Lara lifts an ancient curse from the men of Terah, earning its ruler's gratitude – and his deep and passionate love. Magnus Hauk has never known a woman like Lara, and his fascination leads him to venture back across the sea with her to prevent another war. There, however, the ruler of Terah learns that betrayal is an everyday commodity; nothing is exactly what is seems in beautiful, sinister Hetar. And the lovers attract the animosity of Prospero, a dangerous enemy to have. For power, dear reader, does corrupt absolutely.

This take continues to unfold within the corridors of my imagination. I hope you will enjoy Lara's further adventures as she continues to seek out her true destiny. I know I am enjoying writing it for you.

Bestselling author Bertrice Small continues the blazing adventures of raven-haired, emerald-eyed Skye O'Malley. This time, she is a pawn in the bitter war between England's Queen Elizabeth, and Mary, Queen of Scots. Once again, unprotected and alone, she must fight for her children. At the command of Queen Elizabeth, Skye marries the cruel Duc de Beaumont de Jaspre. Although her new life is horrid at first, Skye transforms it with her hot-blooded desires-only to be shaken with the news that her beloved former husband may be alive in Algiers. Her daring flight into eroticism and danger leads her ultimately to her heart's true destiny-as bold and sensual as Skye herself. She is a woman born to be loved by men, yet too proud and incomparable to answer to anything but the call of her own passionate soul.

"Bertrice Small creates cover-to-cover passion, a keen sense of history and suspense."

The award-winning, nationally bestselling author of sixteen novels, Susan Johnson is "best known for her erotic love scenes…" (Publishers Weekly). AGAIN AND AGAIN gives readers everything they expect from this skillful storyteller – and more. In the midst of a blizzard, Caroline Morrow's coach is waylaid at an inn on the outskirts of a small village. More happy than annoyed at the unexpected stop, she basks in the warmth from a crackling fire, until a voice from the past sends a chill down her spine. Lord Simon Blair emerges from the shadows – still handsome, still powerful. In a moment, recollections of their sensuous affair scorch the space between them, even though their liaison ended badly – with his infidelity and her flight into marriage. Now divorced and nearly penniless, Caroline cannot hide her dire straits from her former lover – or the thrill that courses through her at the sound of his seductive voice. An evening spent at cards becomes a night spent in bed, which turns into days of tantalizing bliss. But Caroline must make her escape. Tearing herself from Simon's arms, she finds her way to her new employer and takes up her new position as governess, only to learn that her surrender to Simon has whetted his appetite for more. And the chase is on.

Especially Posy Reiling, the decidedly not evil stepsister from An Offer From a Gentleman. She's been living with the Bridgertons for three years, but despite Violet's most fervent matchmaking, she hasn't found a husband. Posy claims she's content to remain a spinster, but Sophie Bridgerton has other plans…

Newly returned to her home in Mayfair, Lady Emily Hargreaves is looking forward to enjoying the delights of the season. The delights, that is, as defined by her own eccentricities—reading The Aeneid, waltzing with her dashing husband, and joining the Women’s Liberal Federation in the early stages of its campaign to win the vote for women. But an audacious vandal disturbs the peace in the capital city, splashing red paint on the neat edifices of the homes of London’s elite. This mark, impossible to hide, presages the revelation of scandalous secrets, driving the hapless victims into disgrace, despair and even death. Soon, all of London high society is living in fear of learning who will be the next target, and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, favorite agent of the crown, must uncover the identity and reveal the motives of the twisted mind behind it all before another innocent life is lost.

Regency romance juggernaut Laurens shows signs of fatigue in the third book of her Bastion Club septet (after The Lady Chosen and A Gentleman's Honor). Lord Charles St. Austell, earl of Lostwithiel, is one of the seven noble members of the Bastion Club ("a last bastion against the matchmakers of the ton") who served as spies during the Napoleonic wars and who still do a bit of investigating for the Crown when they're not braving eager ladies on the marriage mart. At his country estate, Charles encounters old friend (and old flame) Lady Penelope Selborne, who's up to her neck in intrigue. Penny's late brother may have been involved in schemes to smuggle secrets to France during the war-schemes that seem to be continuing with new sources even after his death. The novel features all the steamy sensuality for which Laurens is known, but the sex scenes lack the spark typical of her best work; Penny and Charles spend far too much time staring longingly at each other, dutifully denying their own urges. The unwieldy spy plot, meanwhile, progresses with agonizing slowness as the two interrogate every suspicious newcomer in town. Dedicated fans will probably stick with Laurens through the remaining four Bastion Club titles, but she's going to have to pick up the pace if she's to keep others intrigued. Agent, Nancy Yost. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

But where can he find the perfect woman? She has to be attractive, kind, a good conversationalist… and more important, she has to accept him as he is: devilishly handsome, charming and, as far as anyone knows, poor as a church mouse! If London society discovers his hidden wealth, he'll never find the right wife.

Jack's heart races when he first lays eyes on Sophie Winterton. She is everything he desires – and more – but he is caught in his own trap. Believing that Jack needs to marry into wealth, Sophie rejects all his advances, certain he would never marry a poor girl like her. As they play out a game of cat and mouse, can Jack convince her that she is the woman he wants – and that he is the husband she deserves?

Six notorious cousins, known to the ton as the Bar Cynster, have cut a swath through the ballrooms of London. Yet one by one, each has fallen in love and married the woman of his heart, until only one of them is left unclaimed...the most rakish of Stephanie Laurens' captivating clan...and he's not about to go easily.Alasdair Cynster - known to his intimates as Lucifer - decides to rusticate in the country before the matchmaking skills of London's mamas become firmly focused on him, the last unwed Cynster. But an escape to Devon leads him straight to his destiny in the irresistible form of Phyllida Tallent, a willful, independent beauty of means who brings all his masterful Cynster instincts rioting to the fore. Lucifer tries to deny the desire Phyllida evokes - acting on it will land him in a parson's mousetrap, one place he's sworn never to go. But destiny intervenes, leaving him to face the greatest Cynster challenge - wooing a reluctant bride.

Phyllida has had a bevy of suitors - her charm and wit are well known throughout the countryside - but none of them has tempted her the way Lucifer does. His offer to teach her all about the ways of love is almost too tantalizing to resist. And though she's not yet completely surrendered, she knows only a fool stands against a Cynster...and Phyllida is no one's fool.

She was a young woman with plans, and Lord Philip Ruthven played a large part in them. Though the childhood friends had not seen one another in years, she was perfectly aware that Philip had no lack of female companionship. But he had never married, and it was high time he did. If she could prove to him that she was capable of running his home and would not disgrace him in society, Antonia was certain he would propose a comfortable arrangement. But never had she expected that their hearts would somehow find their way into the bargain!

In An Assembly Such as This, Pamela Aidan finally answers that long-standing question. In this first book of her Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, she reintroduces us to Darcy during his visit to Hertfordshire with his friend Charles Bingley and reveals Darcy's hidden perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice. As Darcy spends more time at Netherfield supervising Bingley and fending off Miss Bingley's persistent advances, his unwilling attraction to Elizabeth grows — as does his concern about her relationship with his nemesis, George Wickham.

Setting the story vividly against the colorful historical and political background of the Regency, Aidan writes in a style comfortably at home with Austen but with a wit and humor very much her own. Aidan adds her own cast of fascinating characters to those in Austen's original, weaving a rich tapestry from Darcy's past and present. Austen fans and newcomers alike will love this new chapter of the most famous romance of all time.

Weekly ballet classes are Harriet Morton's only escape from her intolerably dull life. So when she is chosen to join a corps de ballet which is setting off on a tour of the Amazon, she leaps at the chance to run away for good.

Performing in the grand opera houses is everything Harriet dreamed of, and falling in love with an aristocratic exile makes her new life complete. Swept away by it all, she is unaware that her father and intended fiancé have begun to track her down…

A Company of Swans is a sweeping tale of romance, freedom and the beauty of dance from award-winning author, Eva Ibbotson.

Kit Butler is cool, dangerous, one of London’s mostinfamous bachelors—marriage is the last thing on his mind. But Kit’s family has other plans. Desperate to thwart his father’s matchmaking, Kit needs a bride...fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth.

A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly—and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit’s intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly—until Kit does the unthinkable: He begins to fall in love. A summer to remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his...for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives?

When you’re hot for a demon, you might as well kiss your halo good-bye…

Falling naked into the killer whale tank at MarineLand is always bad news, but it’s a real bummer when you’ve just been kicked out of Heaven. Former angel Valerie Grace is determined to reverse her banishment – Earth’s just no fun.

Her best friend is a slightly perverted human-turned-rat, and she’s being tailed by a sexy Tempter Demon named Nathaniel, who’s trying to lure her to hell with kisses that are almost worth the trip. With the talking rodent sneaking peeks down her shirt and Nathaniel getting more irresistible every minute, this ex-angel has only one hope: find the stolen Key to Heaven and go home.

The only person who can keep Luc Carter in the little town of Indigo is Loretta Castille. she's also the reason he has to leave.

A single mom and local baker who supplies Luc's B and B, Loretta has had a no-dating policy since discovering the man she married was a criminal. Bending the rules for Luc is a possibility, but not if she finds out he's on probation.

Luc will soon be a free man and his record expunged, but there's no pleasure in freedom when it means giving up the woman he loves.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen comes a classic tale of thrilling adventure and unbound passion, as two people embark on a journey through terror and desire…

At twenty-one, Zilah Dabala has already survived a harrowing past. Now she's convinced she can handle anything on her own-even being held hostage by a terrorist group. But Daniel is determined to rescue her. And soon their escape ignites an intimacy neither has ever known. Once Daniel learns Zilah's tragic secret, however, he fears she may be lost to him forever. He's defied death many times over-but can he teach a young woman the healing power of love?

Daniel Seifert has spent his life on the edge of danger, carrying out high-risk security missions across the globe. But it's more than adventure that compels him to tempt fate yet again-it's a young woman in a photograph, a woman whose warm, wise-beyond-her-years smile gives Daniel the inexplicable feeling that he's found something he's been searching for all along.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen provides her trademark blend of seductive romance and pulse-pounding suspense in this classic tale of a woman who unexpectedly finds herself living – and loving – on the edge of danger.

Lisa Landon makes her living with her voice – a voice fueled by a heartbreak she vows never to experience again. But despite her renown, Lisa's real ambition is to escape the memories that follow her from one sold-out engagement to the next. Perhaps that's what brings her to the exotic desert nation of Sedikhan and the nightclub where she meets Clancy Donahue.

Clancy takes one look at the beautiful, vulnerable chanteuse and knows she is exactly the woman he's been searching for. The Sedikhan security chief needs to bait a trap for a terrorist moneyman, and Clancy is certain that Lisa will be irresistible. What he doesn't count on is that he won't be able to resist her either – and that he'll do anything to protect her, even if it means risking his own life. With deadly plans in motion and Lisa in the crosshairs, Clancy realizes that before their romance can get to always, it will first have to reach tomorrow.

From all appearances Cruz Martinez is one of the good guys. A decorated Philadelphia detective with an impressive atta-boy file, he's on the fast track for promotion. And with that rock hard body and killer smile, he's a difficult man to say no to. But Madeline Casey is prepared to do just that.

Someone is arming the youth gangs in the city, and Madeline is partnered with Cruz on the case. But Internal Affairs thinks Cruz might be involved with the supplier. It's Madeline's job to discover the truth.

She knows better than to trust instincts over evidence. But late night stakeouts have her judgement clouding. Is Cruz really innocent, or will that killer smile prove lethal?

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorce dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

Miranda's first glimpse of her neighbors' house sitter nearly takes her breath away. He's everything she likes in a man-handsome and naked. She can't resist the impulse to introduce herself to this intoxicating stranger.

She quickly finds out he's more than just looks. His miraculous massage brings relief to her aches and pains, then pleasure that explodes into the sweetest, most erotic experience of her life. Yet with each encounter that follows, her confusion grows. Unlike other men she's known, he fulfills every secret desire, yet demands nothing in return.

Patrick is holding back more than a scrap of vital information. He is an angel on an earthly mission of kindness, bound by an unbreakable code. Miranda must not know that her wit, gentleness and womanly curves only sharpen his secret longing to live-and love-as humans do.

And Patrick faces an agonizing choice that could bring them everything they've ever wanted…or separate them for all eternity.

Down on her luck, Lucy Delacourt's temp position isn't quite her dream job but it pays the bills…barely. The highlight of her day is riding the elevator in the mornings: she always manages to time it so that she sees the handsome stranger every day. He's fuel for her fantasies and way out of her league, but a girl can look, right?

Everything changes however the day the handsome stranger seduces a stunned Lucy, first in the elevator then again in the parking garage after work. Completely out of character, she yields without a fight, but she has no idea her wanton acts with a man whose name she doesn't know will start a sensual chain of events that forever change her life. Because the sexy stranger is none other than Jeremiah Hamilton, billionaire CEO of Hamilton Industries, and one taste of the hot little temp isn't near enough to satisfy his need.

The billionaire has big plans for the wayward temp, plans that have nothing to do with filing paperwork…

This book is for mature audiences 18+ It contains explicit language and sexual content.

Contrition, one would say is a humane and moral virtue. But in order to experience this form of repentance, you must first acknowledge your sin then show remorse for your wrongdoing.

For most of Bryce Clark’s adult life, he had been plagued by guilt over what he claimed was a wrong decision; a lapse of better judgement on his part. He hadn’t lived the life he wanted to live, or thought he deserved—until Alexis came along.

Alexis Summers—a breath of fresh air, blown in for Bryce to inhale, allowing him to once again breathe; and live. She ensnared his heart, mind, body, and soul. She consumed him, completely.

Inseparable from the moment they first met, Bryce and Alexis are now engaged and expecting a baby. Bryce has everything he has ever wanted; wealth, the girl, and to become a father. Will he finally achieve his ultimate attainment? Or will guilt of what he deems are his mistakes—his sins—ruin everything?

Akane Russo, part dragon, part Seer and one of Robin’s top Blades, has been given a job to do, and damn it she’s going to do it. The Malmaynes are up to their old tricks, and the Dunne family still has no plans to accommodate them. She’s been tasked with keeping Shane Dunne safe from the Malmaynes and their kidnapping ways. But can anyone keep her safe from the heat in Shane’s gaze?

Shane knows the woman meant for him will never come to him willingly. Luckily for him she’s been ordered by none other than the Hob to guard him, and he’s going to use that to his advantage every chance he gets. He knows it’s only a matter of time before the dragoness succumbs and lets Shane Claim her like they both want. When they come together he knows the results will be beyond his wildest imaginings.

When Akane winds up poisoned by gold and forced into temporary heat, marking Shane suddenly takes top priority. Keeping her new mate safe, and sane, will be a brand new puzzle, one the Blade isn’t sure she can solve in time.

Synopsis: Aladdin's Lamp sends me back to my teenage years. Will I make the same mistakes, or new ones, and can I reclaim my life? Note: Some codes apply to future chapters. The sex in the story develops slowly.

Dean Chastell has a reputation for being a troublemaker and something of a lady's man. It's not his fault he's attractive, funny and hell on wheels between the sheets...or that his pranks often leave his victims smarting. But not even he deserves to get saddled with Stacey Bermin for his sins. There's no denying the woman is gorgeous. She's sexy as hell and aggravating in the extreme. She's also prideful, pampered, calls him "hillbilly" and needs a swift kiss...err, "kick," in the pants.

And she's in grave danger.

He never thought they'd manage to spend a few hours, much less a few days, alone without going for each other's throats, but when trouble comes calling, Dean finds he'll do anything to keep her safe. She's not nearly as cold as she seems. In fact, the princess brings out the prince in him he never knew existed. And he'll move heaven and earth to keep her safe, out of danger...and in his arms, no matter the cost.

Warning: A trickster cat finally meets his match in a proud feline used to getting her way. Hunters, hijinks and danger abound as the pride comes together for one heck of a battle.

Perfectionist Erin usually loves Christmas, but this year things aren't going exactly as planned. Lost gifts, too much work to do and organizing the office Christmas party are stressing her out. When Dex Mitchell, the gorgeous Director of Finance, who she's had a crush on forever comes by, she turns into a stammering klutz. What more could go wrong this Christmas? How about too much to drink at the Christmas party, a sexy encounter in the ladies' room and an embarrassed hangover the next day? Can anything turn this around so Erin gets what she really wants for Christmas

We all come to a point in our lives where we finally ask the ever-looming question, “Is this all there is?” And most of us coast along afterwards, just accepting that the answer to that question is probably, “Yes, this is it.” Sometimes, though, we’re lucky. Sometimes we run into the right people at the right time.

Ryan and Jennifer are at that point in their marriage, asking that question. Luckily, tonight at a friend’s holiday party, they’re about to run into those very right people at exactly the right time. Bruce and Paige have successfully crossed the Rubicon into the realm of “what else there is.” They’ve discovered delights and a way of living that Ryan and Jennifer have only ever dreamed about.

Their secret? Bruce and Paige are swingers. And very soon now, thanks to a chance meeting and a new friendship, Ryan and Jennifer will close their eyes, clasp hands, and jump into the deep end of life, exploring the untold wonders of sexuality. Hedonistic pleasures that they can’t even fathom yet, threesomes and sex parties and a deep connection with friends and with each other. The swinging lifestyle.

Today is the day they proclaim: “There is more.” Today is the day they change their lives.

Life is tough enough these days for Lydia Smith, licensed Para-archaelogist. Seriously stressed-out from a nasty incident in an alien tomb, she is obliged to work part-time in Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors, a very low-budget museum. She has a plan to get her career back on track, but it isn't going well. Stuff keeps happening. Take the dead body that she discovered in one of the sarcophagus exhibits. Who needed that? Finding out that her new client, Emmett London, is one of the most dangerous men in the city isn't helping matters either. And that's just today's list of setbacks. Here in the shadows of the Dead City of Old Cadence, things don't really heat up until After Dark.

Life is complicated for Lydia Smith. She's working at that tacky, third-rate museum, Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors, trying to salvage her career in para-archaeology—and dating the most dangerous man in town. Just when she thinks she might be getting things under control, she stumbles over a dead body and discovers that her lover has a secret past that could get him killed.

Just to top things off, trouble is brewing underground in the eerie, glowing green passageways of the Dead City and that dynamic dust-bunny, Fuzz, has a couple of surprises up his tatty, furry sleeve.

Of course, all of those problems pale in comparison to the most pressing issue: Lydia has been invited to the Restoration Ball and she hasn't got a thing to wear.

If any work of fiction will earn Robert Heinlein a permanent place on the collective bookshelf, it is going to be Stranger in a Strange Land, for the impact it has made on American society. If a person has not managed to read Strangerby now, then he has at least absorbed a bit of it osmotically, for it flows throughout our cultural consciousness. Perhaps least of all, it anticipated Nancy Reagan's reliance on astrology and spawned the water bed and the neologism "grok," (Heinlein's Martian verb for a thorough understanding), though "grok" would never have taken hold, had the young rebels of the 1960s not discovered Stranger as their counterculture bible. Some went even further and formed "nests" and churches based on what they found in Stranger; perhaps the most famous instance of that is the Church of All Worlds, a pagan group who lifted its name and logo intact from the book. Stranger has also begun to be included in many canonical college reading lists, and Billy Joel saw fit to mention the title in his 1989 Top-40 hit about history, "We Didn't Start the Fire."

Stranger's fire was kindled in 1948 in a brainstorming session between Robert Heinlein and his wife, Virginia. While looking for material to fit John Campbell's title, "Gulf," Mrs. Heinlein thought it would be interesting to explore the case of a human raised by Martians. Heinlein thought that the idea would make a pretty good Lettres Perses–type novel, took some notes and filed it away for later use, finally placing the completed but abridged version with Putnam's in 1961 (an uncut edition was released in 1991).

Stranger in a Strange Land tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, orphaned progeny of the first manned expedition to Mars, who has been raised by Martians and brought back to Earth by a second human expedition. Though he is a man in his twenties, Smith looks at absolutely everything on this new planet through the ignorant eyes of a baby, and faces the job of learning how to be a human being. If the world government of Earth will let him, that is, for Smith, through a legal fluke, not only has sole survivor rights to the space drive that his mother invented, but also to the surface of Mars. In a Byzantine maneuver that makes Watergate seem minor, the government holds Smith hostage while it tries to figure out how to seize his assets. Ben Caxton, a muckraking reporter, suspects the worst and attempts to rescue Smith. The problem is, if you can't fight City Hall, how can you even begin to fight a world government?

Enter Caxton's friend, Jubal Harshaw, attorney, physician, hack writer, bon vivant, curmudgeon, anarchist. He caches Smith in Freedom Hall, his Poconos enclave, and takes on the dual chore of fighting the world federation for Smith's liberty and of educating Smith in the ways of his biological race. The youth is an apt student, a strange admixture of human infant and Martian superman, and as time goes on, he manages to win more and more people over to his own alien viewpoint. He becomes a kind of messiah–with explosive results.

Given that, I leave it to the reader to pick up Stranger in a Strange Land and revel in it. In spite of the movements and religions it has birthed, Stranger is no bible; it is a sprawling satire of human conceits, including marriage, love, sex and–most importantly–religion. Satire usually aims to inform, so if one is looking for any message in Stranger, then one take a good, long look at Heinlein's targets and think. As Heinlein himself said in a letter to an avid fan, ". . .I would never undertake to be a `Prophet,' handing out neatly packaged answers to lazy minds. [. . .] anyone who takes that book as answers is cheating himself. It is an invitation to think–not to believe."

Vampire Ian MacPhie has a new face and a new mission — now that he looks twenty-seven instead of fifteen, he's on the lookout for true love. He claims that all he wants is another vampire…until Toni Duncan comes along. Toni's best-friend is locked up in a psycho ward, deemed insane when she confesses that vampires attacked her. The only way to get her out is for Toni to prove that vampires exist. So Toni comes up with a plan: make Ian lose control, and beg him to transform her. He's reluctant — for he's deeply in love with Toni, and doesn't want to act too fast — and a passionate chase ensues.

An expert in Leonardo DaVinci's works, Lucy Rossano recognizes the centuries-old time machine the moment she sees it in a Stanford lab. Fascinated in spite of the danger, she uses her knowledge to briefly go back in time — landing in the middle of a fierce battle in ninth-century Britain. And when she returns to modern-day San Francisco, she brings something back with her: a seductive, fiercely intelligent Viking named Galen.

The presence of this enigmatic, devastatingly sexy stranger is just one of the new complications in Lucy's life. There are others who want to harness the time machine's power for treacherous ends, and they need Lucy to do it. Galen becomes first her protector, then the lover she's always dreamed of. But danger is drawing closer, and time is running out. For Galen and Lucy, it's now...or forever.

1. Location, location, location. Remember, if you wouldn't be there, neither would a bloodsucker. They won't be found dead (ha!) in places like discos, ten-minute lube shops, or Switzerland. Check the Czech Republic.

2. Trust your eyes. You know the handsome, annoyingly arrogant, self-assured man in the shadows with long hair and a cleft in his chin? He's your vampire.

3. No matter how tempting it might be, DO NOT "ACCIDENTALLY" ACQUIRE A PAPER CUT AND SUGGEST YOUR VAMPIRE KISS YOUR FINGER TO MAKE IT BETTER. What you offer as a snack, he might take for a four-course meal.

4. From here on out, play it cool. Don't offer to accompany your prince of the night on the talk show circuit and WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T OFFER HIM YOUR HEART.

5. And most of all, remember—being a vampire is nothing to laugh about.

Poseidon’s warriors have learned that the battle to protect humanity produces unexpected enemies—and alliances. And one of the most powerful of all Atlantean warriors will soon find both…in one daring beauty.

A warrior’s mission, a woman’s desire…

What could Christophe, powerful Warrior of Poseidon, have in common with Fiona Campbell, prim and proper Scottish illustrator of fairytales by day and notorious jewel thief known as the Scarlet Ninja by night? Answer: The Siren, a legendary Crown Jewel that Fiona has targeted for her next heist. It’s said to be worth millions, but to Christophe it’s invaluable. For the Siren also happens to be one of the missing jewels from Poseidon’s trident.

And the unnatural evil that could destroy them both.

But breaking into the Tower of London is a two-person job, so Christophe and Fiona team up to commit the crime of the century. As newfound passions fire their motives—and cloud their judgment—they realize they aren’t the only ones after the priceless gem. A dark force is shadowing their every move, and threatening to shatter their trust with revenge, betrayal, and a haunting revelation about the past.

Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel. But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows. Divinely woven together, Angel Star takes readers on a reflective journey when one angel's sacrifice collides with another angel's vicious ambition in a way that is sure to have readers searching for their own willpower.

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is back in the shadows of a deadly, beautiful world where angels rule, vampires serve, and one female hunter must crawl out of the darkness to survive...

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

A gifted psychic detective on the abandoned Earth colony of St. Helen's, Amaryllis Lark follows a high-profile murder investigation and finds herself in the middle of a steamy love affair with business head Lucas Trent.

For Matt, Christmas has aroused painful memories ever since his father died, leaving his family all but destitute and Matt with far too much responsibility too soon. Holly lost her family in a tragedy—but found solace and strength in the holidays her family loved so much. So when Matt and Holly cross paths, it’s more than fate—it’s a chance for both of them to find the one perfect gift they have both searched for all their lives…

CHARLOTTE’S WEB

by Erin McCarthy

For the longest time, Charlotte Murphy has burned for Will Thornton. But as far as Charlotte can tell, Will sees her only as a friend. Tired of waiting for Will to recognize her as the sexy, wanton woman she truly is, Charlotte decides to fall back on her genes—and embrace the witch within her. Her newfound powers offer a tempting way to get what she wants out of who she wants. But does she really want a man like Will to love her because of witchcraft—or because he wants to?

BEAT OF TEMPTATION

by Nalini Singh

Young Tamsyn has always held a special place in her heart for her powerful fellow packmember Nate. But as a dominant male leopard in the pack, the more experienced Nate doesn’t want to trap Tamsyn into the fierce demands of the mating bond—a bond driven by the animal within—when she’s hardly had the chance to grow into a woman. But Tamsyn knows what she wants for Christmas, and she’s going to get it…

GIFTS OF THE MAGI

by Jean Johnson

Steve Bethel and his fiancée, Rachel, could use a few miracles right about now—the family bed-and-breakfast is mortgaged to the hilt, the biggest blizzard in half a century is ruining the shortest day of the year, and their guests are canceling right and left. Then three strangers show up at what seems like the darkest hour, looking for a place to stay for the holidays…

Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire -- unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.

A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her . . .

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents -- until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae -- and their notorious dark desires -- ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire . . .

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a wraith but also turns Lucas into a vampire — the very creature he spent his life hunting — they are left reeling. Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help. . Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her ghostly transformation has given her. A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life?

Eleven thousand years ago, before the seas swallowed the Atlanteans, Poseidon assigned a few chosen warriors to act as sentinels for humans in the new world. There was only one rule—desiring them was forbidden. But rules were made to be broken...

When she calls... Riley Dawson is more than a dedicated Virginia Beach social worker. She's blessed with a mind link that only Atlanteans have been able to access for thousands of years. Being an "empath" may explain her wistful connection to the roiling waves of the ocean, the sanctuary it provides, and the sexual urges that seem to emanate from fathoms below...

He will come. Conlan, the High Prince of Atlantis, has surfaced on a mission to retrieve Poseidon's stolen trident. Yet something else has possessed Conlan: the intimate emotions—and desires—of a human. Irresistibly drawn to the uncanny beauty, Conlan soon shares more than his mind. But in the midst of a battle to reclaim Poseidon's power, how long can a forbidden love last between two different souls from two different worlds?

They soar through the night, unearthly creatures of legends and lore. Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance explore the rapture of the heavens above, and the darkness below in four all-new stories of angels and guardians, and good and evil.

Demons, enemies of both mortals and the undead, have found their way to Earth. To defeat them, Victoria Gardella proposes an alliance between her slayers and Lilith’s vampires. But the vampire queen wants the former slayer Max Pesaro in return for her cooperation—a small price for the world, but a price Victoria is unwilling to pay...

The sacrifices we make have the power to shift the very fabric of who we are, and ultimately who we are meant to be…

After learning of her true destiny as the intended Leader of the Tydes, Anastasia Whitman must now embark on a perilous quest to the Underworld before the age of eighteen in order to plant the seed of immortality and complete her essence to become a true Sea Goddess. But before she can make her legendary journey, an unexpected new student transfers to Lorelei; initiating a sequence of events that will unravel Stasia’s new life, and test the boundaries of her relationship with the mysterious, dark, and sexy Finn Morrison. The line between the Underworld and the Living begins to blur as gruesome ghosts, morbid reveries, and pure evil haunt her waking hours as well as her sanity. Once the details of Finn’s own startling destiny are revealed, the dangerous secrets he’s been hiding will threaten the very love Stasia believed to be indestructible. As time begins to run out, she will be forced to choose between the one she loves and the destiny she cannot escape.

Life has settled down for Nicole Peyton and Derek Gabriel. They've fought battles and won, but friends and family still struggle with the scars. During their first Christmas together, surrounded by the people they love most, Derek and Nick give each other the less tangible gifts that matter most--and the too tangible gifts that mean forever.

Daniel Sheridan is an engineer’s apprentice on a haunted Mississippi steamer known as the Sadie Queen. His best friend–the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran–also happens to be the girl he’s pining for … and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.

Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer–and he just might be able to help them …

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird…

After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome.

To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.

Evelina Cooper, niece of Sherlock Holmes, is ready for her first London Season - except for a murderer, missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse. In a Victorian era ruled by a ruthless steam baron council, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Evelina has secretly mastered a coveted weapon - magic that can run machines. Should she trust the handsome, clever rake who speeds her breath, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything she would ask?

When we lost the war with the vampires, our world changed. The Old Family overlords trapped us in a few scattered cities and demanded our blood. Then Victor- the first vampire I've ever trusted, ever loved- came to power, and I hoped for peace between our kinds. Only now a new type of monster, Day Walkers, has emerged, and their maniacal leader is threatening to destroy us all, human and vampire alike.

The Old Family Council is stubborn and proud, unwilling to acknowledge the danger. But once I claim my birthright as the last living member of the Montgomery line, they will have to listen to me.

Neither fully human nor vampire, I am the bridge between both. Even if I'm not sure where I belong anymore, I know that the only way any of us will survive is if we stand together.

Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

In this thrilling sequel to Crewel, Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything.

Braith of the Darkness likes going through life unnoticed. Not an easy task for a She-dragon of royal descent. But the evil plots of her father are turning her quiet, boring life upside down, and she has now become the enemy of the most vicious queen her kind has ever known. But for once, Braith won't have to fight alone. Not when the warrior dragon of her dreams is willing to risk everything to save her neck.

Addolgar the Cheerful wishes he could say he’s helping the pretty royal strictly for honorable reasons - but he'd be lying. It’s not his fault, though! He didn't tell Braith of the Darkness to have the most delicious tail he’s ever seen! Yet before Addolgar can get his very strong claws on that tail, heads are going to roll. Just hopefully not theirs...

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.

Navy SEAL Bjornolf Jorgenson and undercover operative Anna Johnson have a rocky beginning at their first meeting all to do with pantyhose and tying her to a bed after some heavy-duty sparring, and him declaring she has mighty fine killer knees. Christmas is coming but thoughts of sugar plum fairies and kissing under the mistletoe isn’t something these two gray werewolves have in mind when they're tasked to be the newlyweds preparing for Christmas while investigating a SEAL’s murder at a Christmas Tree farm.

Neither care about Christmas, sharing gifts, and all the traditions that go along with the season since neither enjoyed the holiday while growing up. But as they battle each other as to what makes for the perfect newly married couple’s first Christmas, they learn that a little Christmas cheer can become so much more, especially if they can take down a SEAL’s killer before they become his next target.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

In this digital original novella set in the thrilling world of Suzanne Young’s A Need So Beautiful and A Want So Wicked, eighteen-year-old Claire Becks is forced to choose between a life of darkness and light.

Eighteen-year-old Claire Becks leads a charmed life surrounded by her loving family, great friends, and doting boyfriend, Ezra. Claire’s known for her great advice—and how easily she puts others at ease. And although she feels occasional bouts of sadness she can’t quite place, she is otherwise happy.

Then, one day, a mysterious stranger walks into her family’s bakery. Claire immediately senses something about Harlin—something tortured and dark. Even after he leaves, she can’t stop thinking about him, inexplicably feeling like there is unfinished business between them.

When Lucy, the new girl in town, starts to draw Claire into her world of darkness, Harlin realizes who Claire really is. But Claire will have to realize it too if she hopes to escape the fate of the Shadows.

Akane Russo, part dragon, part Seer and one of Robin’s top Blades, has been given a job to do, and damn it she’s going to do it. The Malmaynes are up to their old tricks, and the Dunne family still has no plans to accommodate them. She’s been tasked with keeping Shane Dunne safe from the Malmaynes and their kidnapping ways. But can anyone keep her safe from the heat in Shane’s gaze?

Shane knows the woman meant for him will never come to him willingly. Luckily for him she’s been ordered by none other than the Hob to guard him, and he’s going to use that to his advantage every chance he gets. He knows it’s only a matter of time before the dragoness succumbs and lets Shane Claim her like they both want. When they come together he knows the results will be beyond his wildest imaginings.

When Akane winds up poisoned by gold and forced into temporary heat, marking Shane suddenly takes top priority. Keeping her new mate safe, and sane, will be a brand new puzzle, one the Blade isn’t sure she can solve in time.

Dean Chastell has a reputation for being a troublemaker and something of a lady's man. It's not his fault he's attractive, funny and hell on wheels between the sheets...or that his pranks often leave his victims smarting. But not even he deserves to get saddled with Stacey Bermin for his sins. There's no denying the woman is gorgeous. She's sexy as hell and aggravating in the extreme. She's also prideful, pampered, calls him "hillbilly" and needs a swift kiss...err, "kick," in the pants.

And she's in grave danger.

He never thought they'd manage to spend a few hours, much less a few days, alone without going for each other's throats, but when trouble comes calling, Dean finds he'll do anything to keep her safe. She's not nearly as cold as she seems. In fact, the princess brings out the prince in him he never knew existed. And he'll move heaven and earth to keep her safe, out of danger...and in his arms, no matter the cost.

Warning: A trickster cat finally meets his match in a proud feline used to getting her way. Hunters, hijinks and danger abound as the pride comes together for one heck of a battle.

The action thrills and the passion burns in this red-hot conclusion to the Wildefire trilogy.

Teenage volcano goddess Ashline Wilde discovers that her former love, Colt Halliday, has an evil plan to kill the Cloak, the benevolent beings that oversee the gods. And that’s not all—he also wants to merge Ash and her two sisters back into a single, too-powerful goddess, Pele. Ash must stop her trickster-god ex-boyfriend once and for all…and to do it, she’s going to have to feed a few flames.

In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort, Elena, are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot — should not — be walking the streets.

This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves...

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there's one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash's secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.

Jalav escapes capture by males, but when she’s badly wounded during the escape she falls captive again. Once she’s healed she’s taken on a journey to a place where the dark god Sigurr is supposed to be found. Once there she finds someone else as well, as well as something of an explanation of what’s been happening.

The "unparalleled romantic adventure"* of Nalini Singh's New York Times bestselling series continues as a new dawn begins for the Psy-Changeling world...

A staggering transformation has put the Psy, humans, and changelings at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies, new allies, wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can't be so easily forgotten, and it threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman's cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy...and changeling.

To find the lost and protect the vulnerable -- and to save Trinity -- no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required — those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets, is fascinated by his nature — at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the sleeping archangel before it's too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows...and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare.